Yūki Shibayama
|Shibayama Yūki}} is a first year student from Nekoma High. He is one of the boys' volleyball team's liberos. Appearance Shibayama is the shortest player on the Nekoma team. He has slightly thick eyebrows, along with dark eyes. His hair is also jet black, and is parted in the middle. In the anime, he has been shown wearing his red track suit and practice clothing. The only time he is seen in the libero uniform is when Nekoma and Karasuno have their first practice match and he is standing with the team before the game begins. In the manga, he is finally shown in his volleyball uniform in chapter 200. Personality Whilst Shibayama is an incredibly minor character, he is shown to be shy and gentle yet determined. Whilst not being as talented as the other players on his team, he tries his best to help where he can. Background Plot Karasuno High Team Formation Arc Tokyo Expedition Arc Spring High Preliminary Arc Near the end of the first set in the match against Nohebi, Shibayama is substituted in when Yaku is unable to continue due to injury. He is visibly nervous upon entering the game and quickly becomes a target to the opposing players. Due to the pressure and nerves, he is unable to move in time to receive a ball properly, resulting in a point for Nohebi. Shibayama begins to self doubt, calling himself the "weak link", until Kuroo has him recite the team mantra in order to calm him down. After Kenma suggests that Shibayama only rotates with Lev, Shibayama becomes more determined to prove himself, believing that he is not worthy of being on the court fully until he can prove his value. Shibayama rotates in when Nohebi is at set point. He recalls Yaku describing what an honor it is to be a libero for Nekoma and how it's possible to claim a regular spot by proving your worth. Shibayama calms his nerves and receives Daishō's serve perfectly, allowing his teammates to score and tie the game. Toward the end of the second set, Shibayama goes in when Kuroo injures his hand. Upon entering the court, Shibayama informs Lev that he will be right behind him for support. Moments later, he is unable to receive a ball which brings the set to a deuce. He apologizes to the team while blaming himself for not doing more. Lev quietly questions why Shibayama would be apologizing as he believes that a lost point is not any one person's fault. Suddenly, Lev has an epiphany about the meaning of teamwork after piecing together Shibayama and Yaku's previous words. With Nekoma now at match point, Shibayama positions himself to cover the opening left by Lev's block and successfully receives Kuguri's spike. His efforts earn Nekoma a perfect counterattack opportunity, allowing Kenma to set for Yamamoto to land the winning point. While the rest of the team celebrates over their victory, Shibayama and Lev excitedly recall how they were able to work together. Later, he and the team receive praise from Yaku. Tokyo Nationals Arc Statistics Compared to Yaku, Shibayama is far less skilled as a libero. Though when he gets serious, he becomes quite proficient at receiving. During the match against Nohebi Academy, he was substituted in for Yaku after the latter injured himself from stepping on a spectator's foot. Kenma decides to only make Shibayama switch in with Lev when the middle blocker is in the back row, rather than switching with both Lev and Kuroo due to Shibayama's lack of experience playing with the team in official matches. Jumping Reach: 280 cm Relationship Sō Inuoka He's shown to hang around Inuoka often and in most scenes that he's in, Inuoka is close by. Lev Haiba Shibayama was shown comforting Lev during his period of insecurity after the match against Fukurodani. During the match against Nohebi, Shibayama is the player that makes Lev believe he has finally "clicked" with the team. Morisuke Yaku Shibayama respects Yaku, but is intimidated by the fact that he has to play as well as Yaku whenever he's switched into matches. Trivia *Favorite food: Omurice *Current concern: "Everyone is so good at receives and I don't feel like I am needed at all, but I'm gonna try my best to practice!" *His star sign is Sagittarius. *'Nomenclature' **Shibayama(芝山) - Mountain Turf **Yūki(優生) - gentle/skilled (優) + pure (生) Quotes * "Just now... I was clearly being targeted. Yaku-san is a presence that the opponent tries to avoid at any and all costs... But in my case, all they see is a "weak link" with a huge bullseye on my back...!" ''- To himself, * ''"The way I am now, I'm not worthy of staying on the court the whole game. The only one who can prove that I am worthy...is me." - To himself, * ''"Kuroo-san and Sawamura-san's smiles both faded the moment they turned their backs to each other. They were each reminded of just how difficult of a feat it is "to survive through Day 2." '' - To himself, References }} Category:Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Nekoma High Volleyball Club Category:Liberos Category:1st Year